Crest Feature: The Wall Street Journal

With building permits for single-family homes in the U.S. jumping 24% last year compared with 2011, there has been a resurgence of the behind-the-scenes players who get paid to interpret local building codes and help permits make their way through city hall. Expediters stand in line to discuss blueprint revisions with plan examiners and sit through countless zoning meetings and variance hearings on behalf of their clients.